Romans 15:7
[The Good News Is for Jews and Gentiles] Honor God by accepting each other, as Christ has accepted you.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Have you ever gone into a store that sold expensive things… clothes, home décor, furniture, or even jewelry… and you felt others looking at you because you were under-dressed? I have told you before about seeing dirty, disheveled people in the store and momentarily judging them to be something (or someone) they were not… and then recognizing them as a friend who had been working in the yard and got grungy.
Or maybe you know someone who recently became a Christian, and you remember when they lived a sinful… even wild… lifestyle. Maybe you find it hard to shake this image of the person and see them as a holy Christian, anointed and blessed by God. Maybe you look at this person and wonder, “Who does he/she think she is?”
Let’s be honest… we are all that dirty, disheveled, sinful person… even if we “clean up well.” What God did for us… and continues to do for us… He does for every single one of His children, as much as they will allow. We need to learn to be more accepting of one another… and we must pray that others do the same. We must ask God to provide care and nurture for His children in all situations… kind store clerks… gentle, caring medical and emergency personnel… loving teachers and bosses, husbands, wives, mothers and fathers… fair judges and lawmakers… attentive friends and co-workers… Spirit-filled ministers and Christian believers who share Christ’s love with others… and much more.
What about you? Do you accept others as Christ has accepted you? Or do you have criteria that others must meet… a checklist of sorts for deciding whether or not you will show kindness and mercy to those you encounter? Read Romans 15:7 again…it starts off “The good News is for Jews and Gentiles.” In other words, Christ died on the cross for all of us… not just a certain few. If we are to be His followers, we must be accepting of everyone. How accepting of others have you been lately?
©2010 Debbie Robus
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